Chronological Order of Karin Schaeffer Books

When reading the series in chronological order, the short story The Domino Killer should be read prior to You Are Next.

The Karin Schaeffer series are a series of novels by Katia Lief, an award-winning and bestselling author of thriller mysteries. Katia introduced the Karin Schaeffer series of novels with “You are Next”, the first novel in the series. Soon after publication the novel became a huge success topping many bestseller lists in the United States and the UK, and receiving a plethora of awards soon after. With the novel garnering so much attention from fans and critics, Lief went on to write several more novels in the series, writing three more novels between 2010 and 2013. The lead character in the series is Karin Schaeffer, a New York City detective who loses her taste for living when her daughter and husband fall victim to a vicious serial killer. With nothing left to live for, Karin now has to find the serial killer that has destroyed her life. Even as the premise of the novels are your typical detective mystery thriller type of stories, the Karin Schaeffer series comes with twists and turns of plot and reveal the truth in an explosive finale. What makes these novels stand out is the nature of the lead character, detective Karin Schaeffer. Unlike other novels in the genre, the lead is not an anger or revenge driven detective as even as she is bereaved, she puts aside her sorrow to work professionally in resolving murder mysteries. The novels can be read as standalones though it would be better to read them in order, as the stories of the leads and their character is developed over the course of the novels.

Karin Schaeffer came to Katia Lief after she read an article in the New York Times regarding the unusually high rate of suicide among police officers. Thinking of how much pressure police officers went through and how hard it was to remain sane in the midst of all they had to deal with, she thought it would make a good premise for a novel. Thus was born Karin Schaeffer who is driven to suicidal thoughts after losing her young daughter and husband to a serial killer she had sent to prison. The novels begin at the very low point when the killer escapes prison and kills her family, leaving her devastated and afraid for her life. She gradually gets back her strength and is determined to protect what is left of her family and capture the killer, even as she no longer has the support of the police force from which she had just quit. In the second third and fourth novels, her personal and professional life evolves alongside that of her partner and later husband Mac. Each character in the series from the serial killers to the lead grow over the course of the narrative to be more determined in their motivations whether good or bad. But for the lead character Karin and her loved ones, the ultimate is fulfilling her part in giving herself and her family and her community the gift of happiness and freedom from living in fear.

Karin the lead character in the Karin Schaeffer series of novels moves from soldier to cop, detective, mother, forensic psychologist, and private investigator. Over the course of the novels, she grows professionally and personally. She gets promotion to senior vice president of the Forensic Security of Quest Security before quitting to become a private investigator alongside her husband Mac. What is intriguing about Karin Schaeffer is that just when she thinks that things are going well for her, something always comes along to make her up her game and improve her skills if she is to protect herself and her family. Nonetheless, Karin is no slouch and will always come out fighting for the people she loves, which makes her such a relatable heroine. Alongside Karin is a range of characters that recur from previous titles the most important of which is Mac, who goes from work partner to her husband in subsequent titles. However, Mac is not the perfect one-dimensional man that he seems as he has a dark past that often comes back to put the family in danger. But it is not only Mac who is not what he seems to be as many other characters in the novels seem like heroes before they show their true colors. This aspect increases the sense of distrust and anticipation of just what will happen next, thus keeping the reader fully immersed in the story right to the very end.

“You are Next”, the first novel in the Karin Schaeffer series of novels is a page turner of thriller that gives the ultimate highs. Just when you think Karin will get the break she deserves, something comes out of the blue to mess up everything and put her back in the danger zone. Karin Schaeffer is introduced as a young police detective living the American dream hoping for better times in her professional and personal life. But she had recently put a man known as the Domino killer behind bars, something that had completely changed her life for the worse. The Domino Man had earned his name after a series of murder where he would kill one member of a family at a time until he killed all. He would chillingly leave a clue as to his next target, which was usually a domino made number that told the family or investigators who would be killed next. After the man murders the last of the Aldermans, the police launch a statewide manhunt for the serial killer. Karin has the misfortune of finding his hiding place and arrests him, only for him to escape and target her family. Now that he has murdered her three-year-old daughter and husband, Karin is next.

“Next Time You See Me” is the thrilling sequel to the first novel in the Karin Schaeffer series. Karin finally managed to put her terrifying past behind her, after re-arresting a serial killer and sending him to jail. She has enrolled in a college career she loves, has a new husband, and baby and believes things could only be looking up. Her idyllic dreams are shattered when she is called to investigate a grisly murder, only to find that it is the murder of her husband Mac’s parents. To make matters worse, it is Mac’s younger brother who is the main suspect. With Mac full of grief as he tries to understand the mystery of the murder, he vanishes without a trace standing up Karin who is waiting for him at their anniversary dinner. It is not long before Karin’s investigations turn up his car in the river, with his shoe shoved under the gas pedal. Karin does not believe the man is dead and soon all evidence at work and on his credit card purchases proves her suspicions right. Now she has her life and that of her son is in danger again.

All Gabriel Allon fans will be eagerly anticipating this one - your favourite spy is back in The New Girl, coming to bookshelves in mid-July. In this one, a girl is kidnapped from an exclusive private school in Switzerland and Gabriel Allon is brought on board to find her. More Details.

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if you are a fan of Jack Reacher you need to read the "Peter Ash" series by Nick Petrie. Endorsed by Lee Child himself, this is a fantastic book series and is the best recommendation I can give for any fans of Reacher. More details.

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If you’re a fan of standalone thrillers then be sure to read any of the standalones by Brad Parks. The guy is a master! I’ve read over 50 different authors of standalone thrillers in the last year and no-one stands out like Brad. More Details.

Did You Know…

Andy McNab was born on 28 December 1959. Found abandoned on the steps of Guy's Hospital in Southwark in a Harrods shopping bag, he was brought up in Peckham, with his adoptive family. He did not do well in school, dropped out and worked at various odd jobs, usually for friends and relatives, and was involved in petty criminality, finally being arrested for burglary in 1976.